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Bent Flyvbjerg, a scholar of the University of Oxford in England, has studied mega-project mismanagement among 258 transportation infrastructure projects worldwide, and found that for every 10 projects, nine went over budget. The study also revealed the tendency of public officials and project proponents to engage in "strategic misrepresentation" to get the project approved. But one possible solution, writes Eric Jaffe, is the creation of a "reference class ... of similar projects to serve as a platform for comparing costs."

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Cloud-based platforms for building information modeling are finding a warm welcome in the Middle East, making for greater efficiency and collaboration across time zones. And this in turn is making BIM a key factor in the region's many mega-projects, including Qatar's 2022 FIFA World Cup stadiums and major rail and highway projects.

In 2013, $6 trillion was invested in infrastructure, real estate, energy and mining mega-projects, and that amount could increase to $13 trillion by 2020, according to this article. However, 98% of these projects face cost overruns or delays. This article offers more than a dozen ways -- including better use of technology -- to improve productivity, better manage a project and lessen the chances of cost creep.

China-based Greenland Holding Group is one of the largest development companies in world and already has $6 billion worth of development in the works in the U.S., including the $1 billion Metropolis mega-project in Los Angeles. The company's CEO, I-Fei Chang, said she is trying to find another mega-project to develop in California's Bay Area. She is, however, concerned about the rising cost of construction, as costs at the company's two U.S. projects have increased 20%.

Boston developer John Hynes learned several lessons while building New Songdo City in South Korea. He needed to adapt to a new culture, learn to be better organized and patience became a virtue. He intends to apply those lessons to his current project, a 6.3-million-square-foot mixed-use project, called Seaport Square, in Boston's Seaport District.

Gigantic engineering projects are planned and ongoing, many in developing nations, despite the economic downturn that grips much of the world, according to this article. Among the more impressive infrastructure projects are a massive upgrade for the Panama Canal and Beijing's new airport, which will be one of the world's largest when completed.